Caen Hill Locks, Devizes

There are 29 locks in the flight altogether, but the really spectacular part is the central part which is a staircase of 16 locks, one after the other. Here we are waiting our turn to go into lock 29 (at the bottom of the central section)



And here we are at lock 44 (the one at the top of the central section). Trust me when I tell you that looking back down (after you've done them all) is much better than looking up (knowing they're still to do) ...!



Not very much knitting done this week (too knackered), but I've completed a few loopa boas for Hazel's charity craft stall in November, which also counts as de-stashing (two birds with one stone?)

PS In answer to all the comments, you have to do the locks on most canals yourself, ie. let the water in or out as needed, open the gates, drive the boat in, close the gates again, and raise or lower the water levels (depending on which direction - up or down - you're going in), drive out, and close the gates behind you. If you do a large river, like the Thames, there are lock-keepers to do most of it except steering the boat. If you check out my flickr gallery here, this should give you a flavour of a canal boat holiday. I don't generally do the steering (makes John very nervous!), but I'm pretty efficient at lock gates by now, and although James wasn't with us this holiday (and sorely missed on Caen Hill itself), Holly and Emily are now just about large enough to be able to raise water levels and open gates (sometimes with a little extra help, if the gates are very heavy)